Countdown begins to big Disney Fantasy launch

Six months are left until the March 31 launch of the inaugural cruise of Disney Cruise Line’s mega-cruise ship Disney Fantasy. Carrying up to 4000 passengers, Disney’s fourth vessel will be based at Port Canaveral, together with Disney Dream, sailing seven-night Caribbean itineraries. The Dream, meanwhile, will switch to shorter cruises to the Bahamas.Fantasy, whose design reflects the art nouveau glamour of 1930s cruising, will have an inaugural roundtrip with port calls at Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Costa Maya and Castaway Cay. The final piece of Disney Fantasy – a 265-ton section of the bow of the ship – was fitted recently at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.Another ship, Disney Magic, will sail 20 cruises from New York from May 25, to the Bahamas, New England and Canada.Travel Weekly[pictured: image of Disney Fantasy; courtesy Disney Cruises]